Day of mixed feelings
Nicol moves back into top five but falters in China Open q-finals
KUALA LUMPUR: National squash queen Nicol David will look back on this Sept 1 with joy and sorrow.
She will be happy because this is the day she moved back into the top five of the world ranking.
The Penangite, who celebrated her 34th birthday on Aug 26, moved up one rung to No. 5 in the latest ranking list released yesterday.
However, there was no such joy for the eight-time world champion in the China Open.
The fifth-seeded Malaysia, who won the tournament in 2013, battled for 66 minutes against world No. 11 Joelle King of New Zealand before going down 11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 7-11, 5-11 in the quarter-finals in Shanghai yesterday.
King has been in sizzling form, having stunned world No. 3 and defending champion Laura Massaro of England in four sets in the first round on Thursday.
King, who lost in last year’s semi-finals, will face world No. 1 Nour El Sherbini of Egypt for a place in the final.
Newly- crowned European champion and second seed Camille Serme of France defeated Annie Au of Hong Kong 11-7, 11-3, 11-5 to set up a semi- final date with fourth seed Nouran Gohar of Egypt.
Q-FINAL RESULTS
Men: Ramy Ashour ( Egy) bt Daryl Selby ( Eng) 11- 6, 11- 3, 11- 5; Paul Coll ( Nzl) bt Fares Dessouky (Egy) 11- 6, 11-3, 11-4; Marwan Elshorbagy ( Egy) bt Simon Rosner ( Ger) 11- 7, 11- 5, 11- 7.
Women: Joelle King (Nzl) bt Nicol David ( Mas) 8-11, 11- 8, 4- 11, 11-7, 11- 5; Nouran Gohar ( Egy) bt Nour El Tayeb ( Egy) 11- 3, 11- 6, 11- 6; Camille Serme ( Fra) bt Annie Au ( Hkg) 11- 7, 113, 11- 5; Nour El Sherbini ( Egy) bt Alison Waters ( Eng) 11-4, 11- 7, 11- 6.